Friction Stir Processing of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Al-Mg-Si Alloy Composites: Fid-Bau Portal

Friction Stir Processing of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Al-Mg-Si Alloy Composites

Singh, Pratap / Sahai, Ankit / Sharma, Rahul Swarup

Nowadays, low-weight materials with high strength are demanded by various industries, such as automobiles, aircraft, shipbuilding, etc. Alloys of aluminum, titanium, and magnesium are lighter in weight, but their strength and stiffness are not adequate for some structural purposes. By reinforcing these alloys, their mechanical properties can be enhanced. Out of various plastic deformation techniques, friction stir processing (FSP) is an innovative technique employed for the development of surface composites, surface modification, and refining the microstructure. This study aims to examine the effect of reinforcement of Al-Mg-Si alloy with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on microstructure and mechanical properties after FSP. A groove is made to incorporate the carbon nanotubes into the specimen of the base material. By altering the FSP operational parameters, FSP is performed. The highest tensile strength of 237.24 MPa is reported for MWCNTs reinforced composite, which is 1.43 times greater than the strength of base metal. The tensile strength is improved by 11.23% at 2000 rpm as compared to 1600 rpm. The average hardness for non-reinforced samples is 89.1 HV, which is 1.25 times more than the hardness of the as-received sample, and the average hardness for MWCNTs reinforced composites is 94.03 HV, which is 1.32 times more than the as-received sample’s hardness. The average hardness is increased by 8% for threaded pin compared to tapered pin. Fractography analysis using field emission scanning electron microscope is performed to cognize the different failure modes of specimens fractured during tensile testing.